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LIVE: Russian Troops Moves Closer to Kyiv, EU Wants Ukraine to Join

LIVE: Russian Troops Moves Closer to Kyiv, EU Wants Ukraine to Join

The West made moves to cause more financial turmoil for Russia.
Posted by Monday, February 28, 2022 at 09:00am
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The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues as Russia inches closer to Kyiv. Reminder: Ukraine is seven hours ahead of Eastern Time. So when it’s 7 AM ET it’s 2 PM in Kyiv.

You can catch up with Vijeta’s wonderful posts from the weekend:

It is hard to find live streams I can trust since it seems the cam on Maidan Square has gone out. Here are two:

Pictures From Kharkiv

It is hard to trust anyone on any side during the war. Still, here are the photos I believe are recent in Kharkiv, which is the second-largest city in Ukraine. It is located about 300 miles east of Kyiv.

However, it’s only 30 miles west of the Russian border.

Ukraine Taking Out Russia Air-Defense Systems

LOL

A No-Fly Zone?

Nope. It’s a horrible idea to do so b/c it’s basically a declaration of war:

The White House on Monday reacted coolly to a proposal by Volodymyr Zelensky for a no-fly zone for Russian flights over Ukraine, saying US participation in such a move would be tantamount to a direct conflict with Moscow.

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters that implementing a no-fly zone would be a step toward sending US troops to fight Russia.

“A no-fly zone would require implementation,” she said, adding it would require “deploying US military to enforce, which would be … potentially a direct conflict, and potentially a war with Russia, which is something we are not planning to be a part of.”

Asked separately about a no-fly zone for Russian flights over the United States, Ms Psaki said nothing was off the table, but she noted that many US airlines fly over Russia to get to Asia and other parts of the world – likely another reason for US reluctance.

Explosions Around Kyiv

Zelensky Signs EU Application

Still Buying Oil and Gas

It’s all a farce.

Peace Talks Between Russia and Ukraine

The peace talks between the countries began this morning local time on the Belarus border.

Roman Abramovich is brokering the talks:

The Russian-Israeli billionaire handed “stewardship and care” of Chelsea to the club foundation’s trustees on Saturday, in a move aimed to protect the Stamford Bridge club.

But now the 55-year-old is trying to help bring an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I can confirm that Roman Abramovich was contacted by the Ukrainian side for support in achieving a peaceful resolution, and that he has been trying to help ever since,” Mr Abramovich’s spokesperson told the PA news agency.

Belarus Giving Up Its Non-Nuclear Status

Belarus Dictator Alexander Lukashenko is a Putin puppet who wants to desperately make his master happy. So yeah of course Lukashenko wants nuclear weapons.

Russian news agencies claimed that a majority approved a new constitution that would allow nuclear weapons on the former Soviet Republic for the first time since 1991:

On Sunday, speaking at a polling station, Lukashenko said he could ask Russia to return nuclear weapons to Belarus.

“If you (the West) transfer nuclear weapons to Poland or Lithuania, to our borders, then I will turn to Putin to return the nuclear weapons that I gave away without any conditions,” Lukashenko said.

Russia Inching Towards Kyiv

Satellite pictures show Russian troops are inching towards Kyiv.

European Union Wants Ukraine

A little too late in my opinion. The EU should have taken in Ukraine a long time ago but they didn’t want to tick off Putin. Yeah, well, who would have thunk Putin wouldn’t care if Ukraine belonged to the EU or not:

Ukraine is “one of us and we want them in the European Union”, the bloc’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, has said in an interview.

Her comments to the French news outlet Euronews came after Brussels announced it was sending weapons to Ukraine, banning Russian-backed media and aircraft from the EU.

But despite backing Ukraine for EU membership, she gave no indication it would be the rapid accession demanded by president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday.

“We have a process with Ukraine that is, for example, integrating the Ukrainian market into the single market,” von der Leyen said in the interview. “We have very close cooperation on the energy grid, for example.”

She added: “So many topics where we work very closely together and indeed over time, they belong to us. They are one of us and we want them in.”

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Comments

CommoChief | February 28, 2022 at 9:36 am

IMO, a large number of people are going to be disappointed when they come to understand what these sanctions are v what they have been led to believe. The media made a huge issue of baring SWIFT transactions as the holy grail. It isn’t and even it were this bar is applicable to the five Russian banks already named; including the Russian central bank. Also it doesn’t seem to be universally imposed; energy sector transactions are still being processed.

Ultimately sanctions are useless unless they extend to secondary Nations. So if Russia is cut out but can still trade with another Nation(s) who are not; China, then they can still operate. Not as effectively for sure but it’s more like the difference between digital and analog; the world got just fine by using non digital systems for a long time. No way the US and EU impose meaningful sanctions on China should they continue to operate with Russia.

    TargaGTS in reply to CommoChief. | February 28, 2022 at 9:40 am

    The media largely also presumes that Russia, China – and maybe others, perhaps petrol-monarchies – won’t just create/haven’t already created – their own alternative to SWIFT.

    The same people who created policies unfounded in science – like masks, 6′ social distancing and economic shutdown – are now going to use the economic stability of western countries to stop Putin. I’m sure that will go exactly as they plan because their COVID response worked so well.

      CommoChief in reply to TargaGTS. | February 28, 2022 at 9:53 am

      The threat to the dollar losing it’s place as the preferred settlement currency internationally is, IMO, one of the reasons SWIFT bar was not imposed earlier or imposed more broadly or in totality. The benefit to the US of the dollar remaining as the reserve currency can’t be ignored. If another currency the Euro for example was elevated to this role the additional cost to the US economy and our ability to finance debt would be enormous.

TargaGTS | February 28, 2022 at 9:36 am

Unfortunately, we’ve entered the stage when the human toll is going to deepen and accelerate. Putin has a rich history of committing unspeakable atrocities against civilian populations and I suspect the next few weeks won’t look much different. The artillery and rocket attacks happening right now are a harbinger of just that. There are no military targets in city-centers and yet, that’s where Putin is focusing his fire. That speaks volumes with respect to where this is headed.

At some point in the foreseeable future – think weeks or even days, certianly not months – Ukraine will be largely if not entirely occupied and regular Ukrainian defense forces will have surrendered or been destroyed. ‘Then what?’ is the question western media should now be focusing on. What does this occupation look like and how does the international community – particularly to include the UN – respond to it?

alaskabob | February 28, 2022 at 9:37 am

One of the top 10 most corrupt countries in the world and next to last of the poorest countries in Europe…..despite all of its resources. For the EU, the PIGS have been a problem…add Ukraine. I know much of this is reaction to Russia….but entrance into the EU needs foresight.

    georgfelis in reply to alaskabob. | February 28, 2022 at 1:18 pm

    The EU is filled with authoritarians who love to exploit natural resources and force their will on the people. Ukraine will find the yoke familiar.

      henrybowman in reply to georgfelis. | February 28, 2022 at 1:30 pm

      It’s just amazing, isn’t it? State Farm refused to write the homeowner’s policy for the house already on fire, but Slippery Mutual stepped write up and made an offer!
      Slippery, slippery, slipp… ery. Slipp… ery.

      Edward in reply to georgfelis. | February 28, 2022 at 2:23 pm

      “… indeed over time, they belong to us.” Oops, let the cat out of the proverbial bag.

scooterjay | February 28, 2022 at 9:52 am

Putin will not back down.

dmacleo | February 28, 2022 at 12:09 pm

and once ukraine realizes how bad eu is we’ll have a ukexit situation where ukraine enters civil war.
the same ukraine fighters doing the right thing now will be villified by the eu soon.
dumbass decision make due to exigent circumstances.
nato alone is bad enough, add an eu entity to the formula ukraine people are gonna be screwed hard.

scooterjay | February 28, 2022 at 12:37 pm

I can hardly wait. Biden will fly over there and as Air Force One makes the approach he will look out the window and ask why the cows in the field don’t have horns to which an aide will reply that the reason some cows don’t have horns is because they are polled breeds that don’t grow them but the main reason those cows don’t have horns is because they are horses.

Peabody | February 28, 2022 at 12:56 pm

What we have is a bunch of dry tinder that could quickly morph into WW 3. If Putin is insane as is claimed, then who knows whether he will launch missles at the US out of anger or spite because of sanctions? Some believe
he may have a terminal illness. If so, he might want to go out in a blaze of glory.

No one knows who makes the decisions in this country. But it isn’t Biden. There is probably several persons calling the shots, with one gaining the upper hand one time and another the next. In any case, it will take longer than usual for the US to respond to a crisis.

thad_the_man | February 28, 2022 at 1:54 pm

Last year, Brexit was a reality. Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary were teetering on leaving the EU. Suddenly a lot of that is going away and the Ukraine wants to join too.

How convenient.

stevewhitemd | February 28, 2022 at 4:13 pm

People who have been crowing, “It’s four days and the Russians haven’t taken Kyiv! Putin is a goner!” simply do not understand how modern war works.

It took the U.S. and allies a couple weeks to get to Baghdad in 2003, and the Iraqi army wasn’t very much in the way of opposition. It still took time to get the order of battle, logistics, movement, etc., right and to overcome the obstacles, be it opposition or a blown bridge.

Russia isn’t the U.S., and the Ukraine isn’t Iraq. Why would anyone think that the Russians were just going to waltz in? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Putin understood this better than anyone, and if the Russians are still fighting it’s because they know that Kyiv, and Kharkov, and the other cities will eventually fall. Just not in a day or two.

I suspect Russia is in this for the long haul.

JHogan | February 28, 2022 at 4:51 pm

People who have been crowing, “It’s four days and the Russians haven’t taken Kyiv! Putin is a goner!” simply do not understand how modern war works.

That group includes about 99% of the media. They don’t teach military history much anymore in our universities. And most definitely not in “journalism” curriculums.

I suspect Russia is in this for the long haul.

This.

Which means US war hawks can get there and join the fight before it’s over. Zelensky announced he is forming an International Legion and is calling on “citizens of the world” to join the fight and defend Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted … “Foreigners willing to defend Ukraine and world order as part of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, I invite you to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries.”

Surely there will be a massive rush in the US to join the “International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine”.

jrcowboy49 | February 28, 2022 at 5:36 pm

Don’t know how the diplomacy between Ukraine and Russia will work out, but Ukraine will want Russia out of their country, most likely financial allocation for the damage Russia has caused, and if NATO accepts Ukraine as a member and sends in forces, they may want Crimea back. If Russia doesn’t want to pay damages, perhaps they offer Crimea in lieu of damages. On 2nd thought maybe Russia just leaves.

Andy | February 28, 2022 at 10:13 pm

Conscripted soldiers, paid very poorly working, in a military that is as corrupt as hell vs citizens fighting for their country.

Gee I wonder why Russia hasn’t won yet.

snowshooze | March 1, 2022 at 12:27 pm

Now the E.U. want’s to get Ukraine under it’s control too.
They are another parasite, really.

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